Publication
Pegasus Books (2007), 293 p.
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Description
An exploration of Shakespeare the artist, the man, the playwright, the hack and the genius, this book discusses why it is that he can enter our lives with such force and teach us so much about living. It shows how Shakespeare's words on war, love, death, drunkenness, family, friendship and everything else reveals us to ourselves.
User reviews
LibraryThing member therebelprince
Delightful, and in no way what I was expecting. Perhaps, after having read others like Michael Bogdanov, I was expecting Dromgoole's directorial beliefs on the Bard, neatly divided into chapters. Or perhaps, in the manner of Bill Bryson, I was expecting a structured-then-rambling discussion of our
"Will & Me" is best described as a sort of commonplace book, filled with the author's reminiscences (often brutally frank) about his parents, his childhood, his society, his social leanings, education, and career. These are joined by tangents on every aspect of Shakespeare, academically and theatrically, romantically and personally. It can be a dense read sometimes, as what appears to be a chapter on one subject quickly encompasses four or five others. Dromgoole is also a witty and cultured fellow, so the mind has to be sharp to enjoy. All of which is to say, I'll be dipping back into the author's thoughts from time to time for years to come, I suspect. The book's structure (or lack of) means that I'm not about to promote this as one of the "best books" on Shakespeare out there. But for those of us who share a lifelong connection to the big guy from Stratford, this makes a lot of sense. There is a lot of great material covering what the blurb suggests: how Shakespeare's work (and theatre and poetry in general) can affect, and draw from, life's greatest ups and downs. But the important thing about "Will & Me" is encapsulated in the final section, a sort of journal entry covering a multi-day walk the author took with friends through the land of Shakespeare's youth. As the men ramble on about academic theories, Dromgoole is drawn to thinking about the life Shakespeare must have come from, must have seen around him, must have led. And in this we discover essential truths about the genius himself, and his work, that I'm glad to have encountered.
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relationship to Shakespeare. Instead, I got neither. And I was disappointed for about eight pages before I gave in, and realised this is a book I cherish."Will & Me" is best described as a sort of commonplace book, filled with the author's reminiscences (often brutally frank) about his parents, his childhood, his society, his social leanings, education, and career. These are joined by tangents on every aspect of Shakespeare, academically and theatrically, romantically and personally. It can be a dense read sometimes, as what appears to be a chapter on one subject quickly encompasses four or five others. Dromgoole is also a witty and cultured fellow, so the mind has to be sharp to enjoy. All of which is to say, I'll be dipping back into the author's thoughts from time to time for years to come, I suspect. The book's structure (or lack of) means that I'm not about to promote this as one of the "best books" on Shakespeare out there. But for those of us who share a lifelong connection to the big guy from Stratford, this makes a lot of sense. There is a lot of great material covering what the blurb suggests: how Shakespeare's work (and theatre and poetry in general) can affect, and draw from, life's greatest ups and downs. But the important thing about "Will & Me" is encapsulated in the final section, a sort of journal entry covering a multi-day walk the author took with friends through the land of Shakespeare's youth. As the men ramble on about academic theories, Dromgoole is drawn to thinking about the life Shakespeare must have come from, must have seen around him, must have led. And in this we discover essential truths about the genius himself, and his work, that I'm glad to have encountered.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781933648460
Physical description
293 p.; 5.25 inches
Pages
293